Strong alignment of organizational structure and culture at the basis of a successful leadership in PR, recent Dircom study shows

Dircom, the Spanish Association of Communication Directors, and the Group of Advanced Communication Studies of the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (GEAC) has recently presented the results of the Cross-Cultural Study of Leadership in PR and Communication Management, a worldwide research on leadership in communication conducted in 2012.

The study, which saw the participation of more than 4000 professionals from 23 countries, highlighted the main challenges the PR and Communication industry is facing and gave some valuable insights on the key skills an effective communication and PR leader should have.

Managing the information flow high speed and volume, being prepared to cope efficiently with possible future crisis and facing the digital revolution and the social media growth are among the key issues identified. The study also suggested the main strategies to manage these challenges, namely developing new skills and improving work processes, rethinking the strategies towards a greater use of social media and monitoring and analyzing on an ongoing basis the coverage of the organization and its competitors on the communication channels.

The research also highlighted the need of a strong alignment between the structure and the organizational culture of the company as the essential basis to create an effective and successful leadership in Public Relations. This integrated model of leadership identifies specific skills an excellent leader should have, namely personal dynamism and team spirit (as personal attributes), ethical behaviors and the ability to network, to build strong relationships with the organization stakeholders and to take strategic decisions for the company at the right time.